11/16/17 - "After Nirvana" They say that a baby soaks up information like a sponge, learning new things at an incredible rate. What if you were to retain that ability into adult-hood? You might think, "What sense does that make? We stop learning things at a rapid rate only because we have already encountered everything, and now it is old news!" But, it may not be so. When a person takes the drug psilocybin, for example, their consciousness enters a state that is very much akin to infancy. New information bombards the user, and their knowledge seems only to be limited by their ability to comprehend the experience. In fact, having such an experience as this may be as vital to learning as infancy. But, can a person retain this state of mind, and learn things as a baby learns without the acute effect of a drug? Yes, I think so, and this may be the result of achieving enlightenment, or what Buddhists refer to as "Nirvana". Perhaps everyone "learns something new every day", and everyone has some unique form of access to the Mind of God... But, I would say that very few use it wisely or effectively. The funny thing about a "know-it-all" is that they are sure that they know everything already, not realizing that knowledge is literally infinite - and a person who truly "knows-it-all" would know that they are limited by their capacity to interpret temporal experience. That is, as it happens, you can only know so much. Those who do not doubt their current knowledge will not have the same opportunity to expand their minds as someone who does. A stubborn believer in one's self as a god often is surprised at things they did not already know... But most of them will simply reflect, "Say... I DID know that!" It is true, in a sense, that we knew everything that we learn - Otherwise, how would we have an ability to know it? But, it is an artificial affirmation to one's self to claim that their knowledge was never doubtable for having to learn something. If you doubt what you are already certain of, you engage your mind in a process of investigation, and will certainly turn things up. Your ability to do this is in relationship with your willingness... And, you may need to coax your mind into a state of passive acceptance. It is what I naturally do, so I do not know any difficulty in achieving this state. There are downsides to doubting your knowledge, so you may never want to be like me. Doubting one's self causes them to make "mistakes", but also protects them from potential outcomes that would be unfavorable. A confident person may not make the same technical errors that hesitancy causes, but they will sometimes confidently waltz over the side of a cliff. As with anything, a healthy balance should be desired. Doubt yourself within reason, and make vindicative decisions when you draw solid conclusions. Try to foresee outcomes, and place fail-safes in your direction that you may fall into when necessary. Above all, one who does not believe in their self as a god must believe in God - work with an understanding of reality more so than a knowledge of it. So, without further ado, go present yourself to the world... And don't let anyone like me outwit you, 'cause that's not what I was trying to do. |